Kiss of the Spider Woman | |
---|---|
Music | John Kander |
Lyrics | Fred Ebb |
Book | Terrence McNally |
Basis | Kiss of the Spider Woman by Manuel Puig |
Productions | 1992 Toronto 1992 West End 1993 Broadway |
Awards | Tony Award for Best Musical Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical Tony Award for Best Original Score |
Kiss of the Spider Woman is a musical with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and a book by Terrence McNally. It is based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Manuel Puig. Directed by Harold Prince, the musical had runs in Toronto (1992), the West End (1992-93), and Broadway (1993). It won the 1993 Tony Award for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score, as well as acting awards for all three principals in the cast.
A film adaptation starring and co-executive produced by Jennifer Lopez and directed by Bill Condon premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2025.
Luis Alberto Molina, a gay window dresser, is in a prison in Argentina, serving his third year of an eight year sentence for corrupting a minor. He lives in a fantasy world to flee the prison life, the torture, fear and humiliation. His fantasies turn mostly around movies, particularly around a vampy diva, Aurora. He loves her in all roles, but one role scares him: the spider woman, who kills with her kiss.
One day, a new man is brought into his cell: Valentin Arregui Paz, a Marxist revolutionary, already in a bad state of health after torture. Molina cares for him and tells him of Aurora. But Valentin can't stand Molina and his theatrical fantasies and draws a line on the floor to stop Molina from coming nearer to him. Molina, however, continues talking, mostly to block out the cries of the tortured prisoners, about Aurora and his mother. Valentin at last tells Molina that he is in love with a girl named Marta.
Again, Valentin is tortured. Again, Molina has to care for him afterwards. In his fantasies, Aurora is next to him, helping him do so.
The prison director announces to Molina that his mother is very ill and that Molina will be allowed to see her on one condition: he must tell them the name of Valentin's girlfriend.
Molina tells Valentin about a man he loves, a waiter named Gabriel, who does not return his feelings, and the two men cautiously begin to bond. Only a short while afterwards, Molina gets hallucinations and cramps after knowingly eating poisoned food intended for Valentin. He is brought to the hospital ward, talking to his mother and to the Spider Woman. As Molina is brought back, Valentin starts suffering from the same symptoms, also from poisoned food. Molina is afraid that Valentin will be given substances that might make him talk and so protects Valentin from being taken to the hospital. As Molina nurses him, Valentin asks him to tell him about his movies. Molina is happy to do so; Valentin also shares his fantasies and hopes with Molina.
Molina is allowed a short telephone conversation with his mother, and he announces to Valentin that he's going to be freed for his good behaviour the next day. Valentin begs him to make a few telephone calls for him. Molina at first refuses, but Valentin persuades him with sex. Molina is brought back the next day, heavily injured. He has been caught in the telephone call, but refuses to tell whom he has phoned. The warden draws his pistol, threatening to shoot him, if he doesn't tell. Molina confesses his love to Valentin and is shot. The scene then shifts to Molina in a heaven-like world, where all of the people in his life are watching his final "movie." The Spider Woman arrives and gives her deadly kiss as the curtain falls.
|
|
Character | Original Toronto & West End Production | Original Broadway Production | Original National Tour |
---|---|---|---|
1992 | 1993 | 1996 | |
Aurora | Chita Rivera | ||
Molina | Brent Carver | Juan Chioran | |
Valentin | Anthony Crivello | John Dossett |
Kiss of the Spider Woman was first staged by New Musicals, whose goal was to create, develop, and provide a working home for sixteen new musicals over four years, at the Performing Arts Center, State University of New York at Purchase in May 1990. It was directed by Harold Prince with choreography by Susan Stroman and featured John Rubinstein, Kevin Gray, Lauren Mitchell, and Harry Goz. [1] An attempt to persuade New York critics not to review this initial production (a "work in progress") failed, with Frank Rich in The New York Times arguing that it is "presented to the audience as a full-dress commercial production rather than a workshop", [2] [3] followed by other critics covering the production and also filing mostly negative reviews. [4] New Musicals folded after Spider Woman.
Two years later, the producer Garth Drabinsky became involved, and in June 1992 his company, Livent, produced the show in Toronto at the Bluma Appel Theatre of the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. Harold Prince directed a cast that starred Brent Carver as Molina, Anthony Crivello as Valentin and Chita Rivera as Spider Woman/Aurora. [5] [6] (Of the original Purchase staging, Frank Rich had written that the title role needed "a dazzling musical-comedy presence of the Chita Rivera sort who has always ignited the flashiest Kander and Ebb songs." [3] ) Vincent Paterson choreographed the production assisted by Kim Blank. Keith McDaniel served as the production's dance captain and lead dancer who was featured as a dance partner to Chita Rivera in the original staging. [7]
Kiss of the Spider Woman then transferred to the West End opening on October 20, 1992 at the Shaftesbury Theatre, where it ran for 390 performances. Directed by Harold Prince with choreography by Vincent Paterson and co-choreography by Rob Marshall, it again starred Brent Carver, Anthony Crivello and Chita Rivera. [8] The production won the Evening Standard Award for Best Musical.
It opened on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre on May 3, 1993 and closed on July 1, 1995 after 904 performances. It was again directed by Harold Prince, with choreography by Vincent Paterson and Rob Marshall, scenic design and projection design by Jerome Sirlin, costume design by Florence Klotz, and lighting design by Howell Binkley. The cast included Carver, Crivello and Rivera repeating their roles, as well as Merle Louise and Kirsti Carnahan. Carver, Crivello and Rivera won Tony Awards for their performances. Notable replacements included: Brian Stokes Mitchell (Valentin), Howard McGillin and Jeff Hyslop (Molina); and, as Aurora María Conchita Alonso, Vanessa L. Williams (in her Broadway debut) and Carol Lawrence.
The US regional theater premier took place at Masquerade Theatre in Houston, TX in May 1999. Directed and choreographed by Jim Williams, the show featured scenic and lighting design by Amy Ross and music direction by Brandon Matthews. The cast included Gina Nepoli-Holmes as Aurora, L. Jay Meyer as Molina, Pablo Bracho as Valentine, Monica Rial as Molina's Mother, Jacqui Williams as Marta, Tim Wroble as Gabriel, and Todd Porter as The Warden.
A 1996 touring version featured Chita Rivera again along with Juan Chioran as Molina and Dorian Harewood as Valentin.
It opened in Buenos Aires, Argentina at the Lola Membrives Theatre on May 2, 1995.
It opened in São Paulo, Brasil, in 2000, with Cláudia Raia and Miguel Falabella in the main roles.
Vortex Theatre Company revived it off Broadway in New York City in 2007. [9] [10]
A reduced production with a cast of 7 opened at The Darlinghust Theatre in Sydney, Australia on 13 July 2010. Directed and choreographed by Stephen Colyer and music directed by Craig Renshaw, the cast included Alexis Fishman (Aurora/Marta), James Lee (Molina), Frank Hansen (Valentin), Jennifer White (Molina's Mother), Wayne McDaniel (The Warden), Jim Williams (Estabon/Gabriel), and Matt Young (Marcos/Aurelio).
In December 2023, Jennifer Lopez was announced to star as Aurora in a film adaptation of the musical with Bill Condon as writer and director. The independently-financed production will be executive produced by Lopez, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Benny Medina through their Nuyorican Productions banner, while Barry Josephson, Tom Kirdahy, Greg Yolen and Matt Geller will serve as producers and Sergio Trujillo will choreograph the musical sequences. Upon the announcement, a casting call opened for an unknown to play the role of Molina. Filming began in March 2024 in New Jersey. In March 2024, Tony Dovolani joined the cast as a mob boss. In April 2024, Diego Luna and Tonatiuh joined the cast as Valentin and Molina respectively, with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon joining the producing team under their Artists Equity banner. [11] [12] [13] [14] Lopez completed filming of her scenes in May 2024. [15] Filming officially wrapped on June 16, 2024. [16] It premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2025. [17]
In his review of the Broadway production for The New York Times , Frank Rich wrote that the musical "does not meet all the high goals it borrows from Manuel Puig's novel. When it falls short, it pushes into pretentious overdrive (a "Morphine Tango", if you please) and turns the serious business of police-state torture into show-biz kitsch every bit as vacuous as the B-movie cliches parodied in its celluloid fantasies. Yet the production does succeed not only in giving Ms. Rivera a glittering spotlight but also in using the elaborate machinery of a big Broadway musical to tell the story of an uncloseted, unhomogenized, unexceptional gay man who arrives at his own heroic definition of masculinity." [18]
Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1993 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best New Musical | Nominated | |
Best Actor in a Musical | Brent Carver | Nominated | ||
Best Director of a Musical | Harold Prince | Nominated | ||
Best Set Design | Jerome Sirlin | Nominated | ||
Best Lighting Design | Howell Binkley | Won |
Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1993 | Tony Award | Best Musical | Won | |
Best Book of a Musical | Terrence McNally | Won | ||
Best Original Score | John Kander and Fred Ebb | Won | ||
Best Actor in a Musical | Brent Carver | Won | ||
Best Actress in a Musical | Chita Rivera | Won | ||
Best Featured Actor in a Musical | Anthony Crivello | Won | ||
Best Direction of a Musical | Harold Prince | Nominated | ||
Best Choreography | Vincent Paterson and Rob Marshall | Nominated | ||
Best Scenic Design | Jerome Sirlin | Nominated | ||
Best Costume Design | Florence Klotz | Won | ||
Best Lighting Design | Howell Binkley | Nominated | ||
Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Musical | Won | ||
Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Brent Carver | Won | ||
Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Chita Rivera | Won | ||
Outstanding Music | John Kander | Nominated | ||
Outstanding Set Design | Jerome Sirlin | Nominated | ||
Outstanding Costume Design | Florence Klotz | Won |
In 2020, an amateur production of the musical is the focus of "Chapter Seven: Kiss of the Spider Woman" episode of Katy Keene . [19] The Katy Keene cast album of the musical was produced via WaterTower Music. [20]
Kiss of the Spider Woman is a 1985 drama film directed by Héctor Babenco from a screenplay by Leonard Schrader, based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Manuel Puig. It stars William Hurt, Raul Julia, Sônia Braga, José Lewgoy, Milton Gonçalves, and Denise Dumont.
Kander and Ebb were a highly successful American songwriting team consisting of composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb. Known primarily for their stage musicals, which include Cabaret and Chicago, Kander and Ebb also scored several movies, including Martin Scorsese's New York, New York. Their most famous song is the theme song of that movie. Recorded by many artists, "New York, New York" became a signature song for Frank Sinatra. The team also became associated with two actresses, Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera, for whom they wrote a considerable amount of material for the stage, concerts and television.
John Harold Kander is an American composer, known largely for his work in the musical theater. As part of the songwriting team Kander and Ebb, Kander wrote the scores for 15 musicals, including Cabaret (1966) and Chicago (1975), both of which were later adapted into acclaimed films. He and Ebb also wrote the standard "New York, New York". The team also received numerous nominations, which include five additional Tony Awards, two Academy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards.
Fred Ebb was an American musical theatre lyricist who had many successful collaborations with composer John Kander. The Kander and Ebb team frequently wrote for such performers as Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera.
Chicago is a 1975 American musical with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. Set in Chicago in the Jazz Age, the musical is based on a 1926 play of the same title by Maurine Dallas Watkins about actual criminals and crimes on which she reported. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal".
Bye Bye Birdie is a stage musical with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams, based upon a book by Michael Stewart.
Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero, known professionally as Chita Rivera, was an American actress, singer, and dancer. Rivera received numerous accolades including two Tony Awards, two Drama Desk Awards, and a Drama League Award. She was the first Latina and the first Latino American to receive a Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. She won the Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2018.
Anthony Crivello is an American actor, known for his performances on both stage and screen He appeared in the original cast of several Broadway shows, including playing Grantaire and Inspector Javert in Les Misérables, Valentin in Kiss of the Spider Woman, Eddie Fuseli in Golden Boy, Dante Keyes in Marie Christine, and the Killer in The News. He also originated the title role in The Phantom of the Opera: The Las Vegas Spectacular and stayed with the cast through its closing six years later. He played the Mysterious Man in the star-studded production of Into the Woods at the Hollywood Bowl and starred as Che in the closing cast of the original Broadway production of Evita. In 1993, he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance as Valentin in Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Brent Carver was a Canadian actor best known internationally for performances in both London's West End and on Broadway in Kiss of the Spider Woman as Molina, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 1993 and was nominated for an Olivier Award. A subsequent Broadway appearance in 1999 in Parade as Leo Frank, led to a second nomination for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.
Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life is a musical revue based on the life of Chita Rivera, with a book by Terrence McNally, original songs by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, and additional songs from various other composers' catalogs. It earned Rivera her ninth Tony Award nomination.
Howard McGillin is an American actor. He is known for originating the role of John Jasper in The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1985) and for portraying the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera from 1999 to 2009 on Broadway.
Zorba is a musical with a book by Joseph Stein, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander. Adapted from the 1946 novel Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis and the subsequent 1964 film of the same name, it focuses on the friendship that evolves between Zorba and Nikos, a young American who has inherited an abandoned mine on Crete, and their romantic relationships with a local widow and a French woman, respectively.
The Musical of Musicals is a musical by Joanne Bogart and Eric Rockwell. It has five acts, each of which is a short musical parodying the style of an American or British musical theater composer or composer/lyricist team, all dealing with roughly the same classic melodrama plot: "I can't pay the rent!"
Kiss of the Spider Woman is a 1976 novel by Argentine writer Manuel Puig. It depicts the daily conversations between two cellmates in an Argentine prison, Molina and Valentín, and the intimate bond they form in the process. It is generally considered Puig's most successful work.
The Visit is a musical with a book by Terrence McNally, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander.
Kiss of the Spider Woman is a 1983 stage adaptation by Manuel Puig's of his Kiss of the Spider Woman novel.
Sergio Trujillo is a Colombian-American theater director, choreographer, dancer, and actor. Born in Colombia and raised in Toronto, Canada, he is an American citizen and resides in New York City. Trujillo was the recipient of the 2019 Tony Award for Best Choreography for Ain't Too Proud and is the first Hispanic Recipient of the award. In 2015 he won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer for Memphis.
The Chita Rivera Awards for Dance and Choreography celebrates outstanding dance and choreography in theatre, both on Broadway and Off-Broadway and in film at an annual ceremony in New York City at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. Now carrying the namesake of two-time Tony-winning dance icon Chita Rivera, The Rivera Awards will be presented under the auspices of American Dance Machine, an organization dedicated to the preservation of great musical theatre choreography.
Thomas Joseph Kirdahy is an American Tony and Olivier Award-winning theatrical producer, film producer, lawyer, and activist.
Kiss of the Spider Woman is a 2025 American musical drama film written for the screen and directed by Bill Condon. Based on the stage musical of the same name by Terrence McNally, John Kander, and Fred Ebb, it is the second adaption of the 1976 novel Kiss of the Spider Woman by Manuel Puig, following the 1985 Brazilian film. Jennifer Lopez stars in the titular role and serves as an executive producer, with Diego Luna and Tonatiuh co-starring as Valentin Arregui and Luis Molina, respectively.